Hurricane Melissa Intensifies to Category 4, Threatens Catastrophic Flooding in Jamaica and Haiti
Hurricane Melissa rapidly intensified to Category 4, threatening catastrophic flooding in Jamaica and southern Hispaniola with up to 30 inches of rain, causing fatalities.
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Overview
- Hurricane Melissa rapidly strengthened from a tropical storm to a Category 4, with sustained winds near 140 mph, and is expected to intensify further, potentially reaching Category 5.
- The storm, currently a Category 3 located 125 miles south-southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, is expected to make landfall on Jamaica's southern coast Tuesday morning.
- Melissa poses a severe threat of catastrophic flooding, with up to 30 inches of rain expected in Jamaica and southern Hispaniola, risking life-threatening flash floods and landslides.
- The hurricane has already caused four fatalities, damaged nearly 200 homes in the Dominican Republic, and disrupted water supply for over half a million customers.
- Authorities in Jamaica activated over 650 shelters and closed Norman Manley International Airport, while Cuba issued a hurricane watch for several provinces.
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Analysis
Center-leaning sources cover Hurricane Melissa neutrally, focusing on factual reporting of its intensity, path, and potential impact. They consistently cite official meteorological agencies and local authorities, using their advisories and warnings to inform the public about the storm's dangers and necessary precautions. The language, while urgent, directly reflects expert assessments rather than editorial bias.
"The hurricane could be the strongest to impact Jamaica in more than 35 years, since the Category 4 Hurricane Gilbert hit the island in 1988."
ABC News"Hurricane Melissa has strengthened into a major Category 3 hurricane, unleashing torrential rain and threatening to cause catastrophic flooding in the northern Caribbean, including Haiti and Jamaica."
ABC News"The erratic and slow-moving storm has killed at least three people in Haiti and a fourth person in the Dominican Republic, where another person remains missing."
Associated Press"Due to Melissa’s slow motion, the risk of a prolonged multi-day period of potentially damaging winds, heavy rainfall resulting in life-threatening flash flooding and numerous landslides, and storm surge continues to increase for Jamaica."
USA TODAY"Tropical Storm Melissa is expected to intensify into a hurricane in the Caribbean on Saturday, bringing with it catastrophic flash flooding and potential landslides."
NBC News"The erratic and slow-moving storm has killed at least three people in Haiti and a fourth person in the Dominican Republic, where another person remains missing."
ABC News"The erratic and slow-moving storm has killed at least three people in Haiti and a fourth person in the Dominican Republic, where another person remains missing."
Associated Press"Tropical Storm Melissa is plodding through the central Caribbean, with forecasters warning it could soon strengthen and brush past Jamaica as a powerful hurricane while unleashing potentially “catastrophic” flash flooding and landslides in southern Haiti."
ABC News"Forecasters warned it could soon strengthen and brush past Jamaica as a powerful hurricane while unleashing potentially “catastrophic” flash flooding and landslides in southern Haiti."
Associated PressArticles (16)
FAQ
Hurricane Melissa is currently a Category 3 hurricane with sustained winds near 140 mph but is expected to intensify further, potentially reaching Category 5.
Hurricane Melissa is expected to make landfall on Jamaica's southern coast Tuesday morning.
Melissa poses a severe threat of catastrophic flooding with up to 30 inches of rain expected, risking life-threatening flash floods and landslides, and has already caused several fatalities and damage to homes and water supplies.
Authorities in Jamaica have activated over 650 shelters and closed Norman Manley International Airport, while Cuba has issued a hurricane watch for several provinces.
After Jamaica, the storm is expected to push off the island as a strong Category 4 hurricane and make landfall again in Cuba, and it could also impact the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos.
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